


Amidst the mist

by whoevencares



Category: Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Plot Twist, josh is a tad broken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:54:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8356045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoevencares/pseuds/whoevencares
Summary: Ryan enjoys the peace of tall cliffs and misty beaches. It's the one place he feels safe.When he spots a curled up ball on a walk one day, what does he do? And what does he do when he realises he knows the boy from somewhere?   "I know you, don’t I?" Ryan hesitantly asked.   The boy's mouth stayed securely sealed.   Josh. Not a stranger. Not a nobody. This was Josh.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluemoongirl99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoongirl99/gifts).



> a big thank you to @halseyschemicalromance for being a sick beta

The cliffs were the one place that made him forget about real life. From below, the rugged rocks  towered above him, like a shelter from above. They made him felt safe. The mist loomed low, making the cliffs look like they were rising into the clouds, and high above. This was his happy place. It reminded Ryan of his family holidays when he was younger. When he had a family that was.

He had Dottie though. Dottie was his best friend and companion in life. Who needs a family when you have a dog?

The sea was only just visible beyond the thick mist, but it was there nonetheless. The crashing sounds of the waves hitting the pebbles was distinctly clear as it cut through the mist. A little (but strong) stream ran through the gorge, and dark jagged rocks were littered by the sides. The dewy air gave everything around him a more vibrant atmosphere; like an old painting with fresh paint.

_Revived._

A deep breath of the clear sea air made his lungs feel like he had never touched a cigarette in his life. The large pebbles below him made mosaics of greys, purples and ochres, while the cliffs were a deep grey, with luminous green moss intertwined in the cracks.

Not once had he ever seen another person out on the stony beach - the prime reason he comes here, and not elsewhere.

So when he spotted a curled up figure he started to quicken his pace towards the ball.

"Hello?" he asked.

As the Ryan approached the curled up mess, he noticed the body was shaking aggressively. With fear? With the chill? A small indigo t-shirt was all the boy wore on his upper half; of course it was the chill that was causing the tremors.

Down one of his arms was an alluring mix of painted colours, blended to make the colours seamlessly fade into one another. From where he stood and, with the mist of course, all he could figure out was some sort of captivating magnificent tree standing tall and twisted, with a swirl of blues above.

Ryan took another tentative step forwards.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

This time the boy lifted his head and stared straight into his eyes. Ryan tried to break the intense connection, but found he could not.

The boys lips were blue and pale. He wondered how long he had been there. His eyes were blinding and misty, with the shade of the cliffs behind. They seemed to be studying him, yet they were still unfocused and dazed. His lashes were long and curled, with drops of dew resting delicately on top.

Ryan felt his eyes start to burn and was forced to blink, breaking the profound bond. The other - boy, he realised distantly - continued to stare, but not into Ryan's eyes any longer.

Wait.

"I know you, don’t I?" Ryan hesitantly asked.

The boy's mouth stayed securely sealed.

"Hey!" He shouted with a sudden realisation. "You're the boy from my dreams! I knew there was something,"

The staring boy slowly opened his cracked mouth, and quietly but firmly replied "No. I am Josh. The boy from your nightmares,"

Josh. Not a stranger. Not a nobody. This was Josh.

The Josh from his restless slumbers.

"I don't have nightmares," Ryan replied, rather confused by what the boy had just delivered.

"You're a fool. You don't even know the difference between dreams and nightmares,"

Ignoring Josh's last statement, Ryan continued. "Where did you go?"

"I did not go anywhere. You were the one to leave. You abandoned your imagination in hopes of real life," pausing to raise his head a little higher he resumed. "You are a fool,"

All of a sudden the boys eyes started to droop. Ryan grabbed the child's shoulder and urgently shook him. He had no phone with him! How was he supposed to get help? The shoulder he shook was cold and hardened, and through the thin and diminished shirt he could feel every detail of every bone. The nearest person was miles away, let alone a hospital with -

Crack.

He suddenly withdrew his arm and jumped back.

The shoulder he had once been shaking was now bent backwards and the arm was limply hanging.

Glowing crimson blood seeped from where the decorated pale skin had been pierced by a sharp barbed bone. The once intact invincible tree was now bleeding, crying tears of ruby sap. The inky purple t-shirt the boy was wearing was rapidly becoming a darker shade. Ryan couldn't breathe anymore. His mind was fogging up and logic was starting to flee his mind.

Had he done that?

"Holy shit," He exclaimed, taking the situation in. "Shit shit, what do I do?" Ryan mumbled, mostly to himself, but he definitely wouldn't reject advice from some deity out there at the moment.

Josh's eyes continued to shut. He couldn't let the fragile boy fall asleep. That would be the end.

As he gave the boy a firm slap on the cheek to try and regain the boys consciousness, he heard another snap.

Thud.

He stared in shock. This was a dream. It had to be. He wanted to slap _himself_ in the face now.

Just looking at it made him feel like his insides were going to be viciously ejected out from his body. His neck and back muscles froze up and tightened. His eyes were fixed on the outcome of his actions. Never had he wanted to be dreaming more. The pain tearing down his rigid neck and coursing through his back and through his mind was more than enough to remind him this was real life.

The head had cracked straight off.

There lay a lifeless pale head, one ear smushed into the stones, the other facing the sky. The once closed chapped lips now lay parted and blue. Both eyes were wide open and unfocused, staring into Ryan's heart.

Choking on a scream Ryan stumbled and turned to run away as quickly as possible. Scrambling away and forcing one leg to go before the other again and again, he tried to block the haunting and unforgettable image of his pale face lying dead on the ground.

fin


End file.
